The Biggest Outbreaks Throughout History

Measles

Measles is a highly infectious disease that causesred-spotted skin, a runny nose, and a high fever. The fever itself can be fatal, and many patients suffer from even more serious complications like pneumonia and brain inflammation. This condition has been around since ancient times. Most of the time, it is present at low levels in all communities, but occasionally, a flare up sweeps through a large population. Many scientists estimate that the horrible plagues of the antiquities, such as the Antonine Plague of 165-180 AD, may have actually been measles. This disease has been particularly devastating when a population without any immunity encounters it. For example, the measles has claimed the lives of half of the population of Honduras in 1529, and in the 1850s, it wiped out twenty percent of all Hawaiians. Before the vaccination, roughly eight million children died each year from this disease.